Earticle

Health risk-taking behaviors such as smoking, alcohol use, substance use, violence and sexual intercourse among adolescents are significant public health problems. Recent data indicate that smoking, alcohol use, substance use, and sexual intercourse in adolescents have been increasing steadily in South Korea. Few studies of smoking, alcohol use, substance use, violence, and sexual intercourse have been conducted simultaneously. This study is to examine associations between 1) drinking and health risk-taking behaviors, and 2) sexual intercourse and health risk-taking behaviors in adolescents. A cross sectional study based on a stratified cluster sample of 24 senior high schools during June and July 2000 was used. The associations were examined with X2, Fishers Exact Test, Mantel-Haenszel X2, and logistic regression. The main results are as follows: Boys were more likely to take part in smoking, drinking alcohol use, violence and sexual intercourse compared with girls. 38.6% of boys and 27.5% of girls had consumed alcohol in the past 30 days. Higher levels of drinking alcohol use were associated with adolescents with separated/divorced parents. Those adolescents who took part in smoking, substance use, sexual intercourse, and violence were 36.27, 4.63, 15.16, and 8.57 times respectively higher to have alcohol consumption compared with those adolescent who did not have those risk-taking behaviors. Those adolescents who took part in smoking, drinking alcohol use, and violence were 28.56, 9.6, and 2.16 times higher to have sexual intercourse compared with those adolescents who did not have those risk-taking behaviors. Risk-taking behaviors of smoking, substance use, sexual intercourse, and violence are risk factors for drinking alcohol. Smoking, drinking alcohol use, and violence are risk factors for sexual intercourse. This study suggests that adolescents are risk-taking behaviors simultaneously. To prevent adolescents health risk-taking behaviors we should develop practical educational principles that focus on delaying a young persons first use of cigarettes and alcohol. Health education should be considered to establish a compulsory curriculum as part of the school curriculum to offer health education systematically and comprehensively.

The purpose of this study is to find out empirically the effects of alcohol use control policy on alcohol use disorder. For the data, a total of 456 case was sampled and analysed with logistic regression method. The results are as follows: The alcohol use control policy affects on four subcategories of alcohol use disorder(e. g., family related problems, job related problems, physical related problems, and alcoholism). More specifically, when the subjects agreed one point more on alcohol use policy, there is greater probability the subjects do not have family related problems(approximately 1.6 times), job related problems(approximately 1.37 times), physical related problems(approximately 1.8 times), and alcoholism(approximately 1.9 times). The implication of this study was described.